


Over the Years Love Will Grow

by eternalqueenofthemyscira



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alfred is the father figure we all need, Batfamily (DCU), Family Fluff, Father's Day, Father's Day isn't complete without a good breakfast, Fluff, In this house we love and respect Alfred Pennyworth, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, it's super cute, this really doesn't have a plot but
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24831286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalqueenofthemyscira/pseuds/eternalqueenofthemyscira
Summary: Alfred Pennyworth has been a constant presence in the lives of the Batfamily. He’s grown used to being their butler, but he does forget sometimes that is also seen as a father figure. Every Father’s day, he is reminded of just how important he is to all of them.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Comments: 10
Kudos: 103





	Over the Years Love Will Grow

**Author's Note:**

> Alfred is my favorite member of the Batfam. There has been at least one comic that focuses on Bruce and Alfred’s relationship around Father’s day, but I wanted to explore the idea with everyone. This is the first thing I’ve written in ages. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading!

The first Father’s Day Alfred had celebrated as a parent was when Bruce was 14. By that time, several years had passed since the brutal murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, causing Alfred to take the role of his caregiver. It wasn’t easy on either of them, but Alfred wouldn’t trade it for the world. There had always been and always would be a special connection between the two, even if it wasn’t often discussed. 

That first Father’s Day morning, nothing seemed abnormal. Alfred woke up at 6 a.m. as usual, promptly prepared himself for the day, and checked the to-do list he had written the previous night. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so why did he feel strange? 

Attempting to shrug the heavy feeling off of his shoulders, he quietly made his way down to the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast. To his shock, Bruce was already in the kitchen. Bruce hadn’t seemed to have noticed his appearance in the kitchen, which was an absolute disaster. Flour was dusted across the counters, blueberry juice had stained the cutting board, and the sink was already full of dirty dishes. Bruce was focused on stirring a large glass bowl with what appeared to be pancake batter, although it looked rather liquidy. Well, at least he had figured out what that strange feeling was. 

“Good heavens, Master Wayne. What are you trying to do, destroy our kitchen?” Alfred asked, finally willing to break the silence. 

Bruce turned towards him with surprise, spoon mid-mix, and took a moment before replying, “I was trying to surprise you.” 

Alfred had to admit that he felt partially guilty for ruining the surprise, but he would’ve felt worse if Bruce had gotten hurt on his watch. 

“And why exactly did you feel the need to surprise me on this fine Sunday morning?” Alfred asked, moving closer to examine the damage to the kitchen. Those blueberry stains would probably be there until the end of time. 

Bruce sighed and returned his attention to the massacre of a breakfast he was attempting. Alfred can just barely make out a mumble from Bruce. Ah, teenagers and their lack of good communication skills. One can only hope they improve with time. 

“Would you mind speaking up a bit for me?” 

“It’s Father’s Day, Alfred,” Bruce spoke as he turned to look him in the eye. “I figured since you’ve taken care of me this long, you at least deserved something in return. I was hoping to at least be able to make you breakfast, but we both can tell that isn’t going well.” 

It was rare for Alfred to be at a loss for words. He didn’t expect or wish for anything in return for caring for the young man as it was simply the right thing to do. 

Alfred cleared his throat, pushing his thoughts away to deal with for another time, “Thank you, Master Wayne. I truly appreciate that.” 

Bruce nodded and broke eye contact with him. 

“Perhaps you wouldn’t mind my help in preparing breakfast? We could start from scratch. I’d be more than willing to teach you.” 

Bruce Wayne did not smile often, but when he did, Alfred swore he could feel his heart grow lighter. It was that exact smile that lit up the room at that very moment. 

“Yes please, Alfred. I’d like that.” 

**** 

It had been about two years since Bruce had adopted Dick Grayson into Wayne Manor after the tragic death of his parents. Almost immediately, the young boy brought a sense of joy to their home that had been lacking one for so many years. Bruce had proven to be as great a father as Alfred always hoped he would be, although he did make mistakes. At face value, Alfred was nothing but supportive for the two as they traversed the streets of Gotham as Batman and Robin, but deep down he worried about how healthy this was for Dick. Despite his worries, there was no denying the bond that had grown between all of them, which had led to his current situation. 

Alfred was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the small family. Alfred had bought a cookbook when they first adopted Dick that focused on Romani cuisine. He hoped to make Dick feel more welcome into their family if they were willing to embrace his culture as well. As often as he could, he found a way to cook something for Dick that would keep his culture alive. The sound of someone sliding into the kitchen behind him yanked him from his thoughts. 

“Alfred, do we have any construction paper?” Dick asked, slightly out of breath. He had that look in his eyes that meant he had a great idea and was determined to see it finished. 

“Yes, we do. I believe we bought some a while back for one of your school projects. It should be in one of the blue drawers in the closet.” 

“Thank you!” 

“Do you need help with anything? I was hoping after the last incident, we wouldn’t be needing to do any projects at the last minute.” 

“Nope! I got everything under control, but thanks Alfred!” Just as fast as he had appeared, Dick was soon off to go find that construction paper. 

It wouldn’t be until a few days later that Alfred would learn why Dick was searching for construction paper. 

In an eerie sense of déjà vu, Alfred woke up Sunday morning with a strange feeling in the air. He laid in his bed for a moment, thinking about the night before. It hadn’t been a school night, which meant that both Batman and Robin had graced the streets of Gotham. Nothing serious happened, to his relief, but he swore his stress levels could rival that of a political leader in the middle of the country uprising. 

The house was quiet, which is something many parents know could either spell catastrophe or a short break from the chaos that is children. Then again, it was fairly early. Bruce and Dick tended to sleep in after patrol nights. 

As Alfred made his way around the house, he heard the faintest of noises coming from the kitchen. He made his way there as quickly as he could, unsure of what he was about to see. On the way over, he tried to prepare himself for the worst, like Bruce trying to make himself breakfast. To his surprise, upon entering the kitchen, the smell of butter surrounded him. With a determined look on his face, Dick was in the middle of the kitchen, carefully scooping flour into a bowl. His attention switched towards Alfred, a gasp escaping from the young boy. 

Dick put the bowl down quickly and rushed towards Alfred, “Go away! You’re gonna ruin my surprise!” 

Alfred got shoved into the living room and took a seat on the couch. For a moment, he had to process what had just happened. Why had there been a need for a surprise today? It wasn’t his birthday for another few months. He rose to cross the room and check the desk calendar that rested in a corner of the room. Today was the third Sunday in June. Father’s Day. 

Just as he had come to this realization, another shout came from the kitchen. Turning around, a wide-eyed Bruce was pushed through the doorway. 

Alfred laughed gently, “So I see it is not just me who got surprised this morning.” 

“I was kind of hoping you’d be aware of his plan, but that seems to have gone out the window,” Bruce responded. 

“He seems like he knows what he’s doing.”

“Mmhm. Did he tell you what he’s up to?” 

Technically he hadn’t, but Alfred wasn’t one to ruin surprises. “No, Master Bruce. I suggest we just wait until he’s finished. It shouldn’t be too much longer.” 

The two men remained in silence for a while. Soon enough, the smell of breakfast began to make its way into the living room, with the sound of plates clattering and cutlery being laid out following suit. 

After what felt like ages, Dick finally entered the living room, “Breakfast is all ready!” 

Alfred did his best to stifle his laughter. Dick had several white handprints on his pajama pants from flour and his hair was a mess, both from having bedhead and pushing it out of his eyes. 

“Thank you, Master Dick. I truly appreciate the surprise you have prepared for us this morning.” Alfred rose from his seat and gently smiled. 

The smile Dick returned practically radiated through the room. Alfred didn’t care if this was going to be the worst breakfast he had eaten in his life, he would eat the whole thing if it meant getting to see a smile like that. 

Dick led them into the dining room, which had been completely redecorated. All of the decorations had clearly been done by hand, but nothing was more amazing than the large banner that said “Thank you Alfred and Bruce!” in adorable handwriting. In front of each of their place settings stood a card. Well, at least he knew now what all that construction paper was for. 

“Good heavens, Master Dick. You made all of this?” Alfred asked.

“Yep!” Dick responded, popping the p. “I wanted to do something special for you both for Father’s day!” 

Bruce, who had been frozen in the doorway for quite some time, perked up at the mention of Father’s day. Alfred pretended not to acknowledge the shine in Bruce’s eyes as he briefly ducked his head away. 

“Thank you, Dick.” Bruce said, voice just above a whisper. 

“I made breakfast blini. My mom and I used to make them for my dad, so I wanted to continue on the tradition with you. I hope they turned out okay, it wasn’t as easy as I remember.” Dick said, a touch of sadness in his tone. 

“It looks like you did a wonderful job. I can’t wait.” 

Bruce nodded in agreement, “I’m really proud of you, Dick. Thank you for doing this for us.” 

Dick’s smile beamed across the room, “Well let’s get started! I’m starving! I never would have guessed cooking could make me so hungry!” 

They all took their seats to eat their breakfast as a family, but something in the air of the room had changed. Alfred had a feeling that life after this could only get better. 

****

Part of Alfred always had felt guilty that Dick was raised an only child. He was so full of energy and life that he should’ve been able to share with a sibling. With time, Alfred’s wish came true. 

Jason Todd had been welcomed into the Wayne family after Bruce had found him in Crime Alley. Well, more like Jason had found the Batmobile, which inevitable led to Bruce. Neither of them had really known what to expect when raising a child from Crime Alley. The difference between raising Dick and Jason was practically night and day, but he wouldn’t change a thing about it. 

Jason was 15 now. Alfred could barely remember a day in his life where Jason was not a part of it, and he was truly happy about that. Now, Jason and Alfred were practically inseparable. 

Every night, Alfred would bring Jason and himself a cup of tea becauseJason always slept better when he had something warm in his stomach. The two would then talk until their tea was finished, which sometimes meant they took the tiniest sips to prolong the conversation. Alfred looked forward to it every day. 

Tonight was a school night, which meant it was just the two of them at home. Bruce had left a little while ago to do his nightly rounds as Batman. Alfred carefully prepared their tea and made his way to Jason’s room. 

The door was shut, so he knocked, “Master Todd, it’s Alfred. May I come in?”

He heard what sounded like the quick closing of a computer screen, the sound of the bed creaking, and then a distant voice told him to come in. He cracked the door open with the hand that wasn’t balancing the small tray. Jason was sitting on his bed with a book in his hands, seemingly content. 

“Hey Alfie. Thanks.” He said a little too quickly. 

Alfred sets the tray down on the bedside table, noticing immediately that the book Jason was reading was upside down. In addition, it seemed that there were some art supplies peeking out from under his pillow. 

“Enjoying your book, are you Master Jason?” He asked.

“You know I am, thanks for letting me borrow it.” Jason responded with a smile. 

Alfred nodded, taking a few steps closer to him, “Although, I do believe you would enjoy it much better if it was facing the right way.” He plucked the book from Jason’s hands, righted it, and returned it to his hands. 

Knowing his cover had been blown, Jason did his best to muster a weak smile. 

The two had their tea and lengthy conversation, but Alfred’s mind was elsewhere. They were a few days into June, which meant Father’s Day was coming up. Dick and Jason always teamed up together to make an extravagant celebration for Bruce and himself. It had helped the two young boys to grow much closer, so every year Alfred was willing to put up with their shenanigans. 

They were excellent at keeping the surprise secret, probably due to their Robin training. That didn’t mean he never tried to figure it out a little, but he would never tell them that. He could tell Bruce tried to do the same thing. As excited as he always was, he knew it was best to just wait for the day to come. 

Sooner than Alfred had expected, Father’s Day finally arrived. He prepared himself for the day a little faster than he usually would, but that was just from excitement. 

Just like every other Father’s Day, Dick and Jason were already downstairs. They were whispered quietly among themselves, but both turned towards Alfred as they heard him come down the stairs. 

“Good morning, Alfie! Happy Father’s Day!” Jason greeted him first, a bright smile on his face. 

“Happy Father’s Day, Alfred!” Dick said shortly after, with an equally bright smile. 

“Thank you, I can’t wait to see what we’re going to be doing today.” Alfred responded. 

Jason grabbed his arm to lead him into the dining room, “This one is gonna be unlike any of our other days, just you wait and see!” 

A lovely breakfast had already been prepared by the two, which was laid across the table. They both had learned to cook from Alfred, which was good, considering Bruce’s cooking skills had not improved since he was 14. Bruce was already seated at the head of the table, but didn’t appear to have been waiting for long. Two presents and their respective cards were placed in front of each of their chairs. 

“Go on! Open them up!” Jason was bouncing in his seat, clearly excited. 

Alfred picked up the card that was attached to Dick’s present. They had stopped making handmade cards years ago, but now they left heartfelt messages inside of store bought cards. He had them all saved. 

He couldn't help but smile as he read the card Dick got for him. Dick was unafraid of using words to express how much he cared for someone, a trait that was not shared by either of the other people sitting at this table. 

“Stop spending so much time reading the card, Alfred. Open your gift!” Dick called, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Master Grayson, let an old man take all the time he needs.” 

Despite his comment, he reached for Dick’s gift. It was much heavier than it looked, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was based on its shape. As he carefully removed the blue wrapping paper, he slowly revealed a scrapbook that he had been making but had been unable to finish because he had so many other priorities in his life. 

“Oh my word, Master Grayson. This is gorgeous.” He spoke, gently flipping through the pages of the scrapbook. Dick had added his own special touches to the pages that he had made, like hand drawn smiley faces. 

Dick smiled, “I’m happy you like it. It was a little harder to make than I would’ve anticipated, but I’d say it came out pretty well. You’ve been really busy for a while and I noticed you hadn’t been getting your pictures printed or put in your scrapbook, so I did it for you. I hope I did okay.” 

“It’s stunning. You did wonderfully. I should let you make them from now on.” 

That earned him a laugh from everyone at the table, even Bruce. 

“I think we all can agree that I should just stick to defending the streets. My art skills, if I can even call them that, are pretty limited.” Dick responded. 

“Oh, come on! Open mine now!” Jason called. 

Alfred smiled and turned his attention to the gift from Jason. The card from Jason was much shorter than Dick’s, but he still cherished it all the same. Just like with Dick’s present, he couldn’t quite figure out what the first was based on its shape. It’s a good thing he wasn’t the detective in the family. 

Just as carefully as he had opened Dick’s present, he removed the red wrapping paper from the gift. With the wrapping paper fully removed, he was able to read the title of the book Jason had gotten him, “The Tragedies of William Shakespeare”. 

“Master Todd, oh my. I don’t quite know what to say.” Alfred said, running his hand over the spine. The book was leather bound, giving it a gorgeous sheen. 

“I knew you would like it! Doesn’t it look so cool?” Jason asked excitedly. 

“Yes, Master Todd, it does indeed look very cool. Thank you very much.” 

Alfred had been so involved in opening the presents from Dick and Jason he hadn’t even noticed that Bruce had also already opened his. Although, upon seeing what his gifts were, it seemed that they were more of a gag gift than anything else. Just like every year, Dick had given Bruce a cookbook. That always led to Bruce trying at least one recipe, which had always ended in disaster. Jason had given him a stuffed version of Batman and Robin. There was merchandise of the two in pretty much any imaginable form, but these were the cutest ones. 

“Thank you both. Alfred and I appreciate the work you two put into this every year. What else do the two of you have planned?” Bruce asked. 

Dick and Jason shared a look and laughed among themselves. 

“Let’s have breakfast first, and then we’ll go on with our day.” Dick responded. 

“This is gonna be great!” Jason replied, picking up his utensils. 

It was true, this would be great. The boys outdid themselves every year. Alfred couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the following years. 

**** 

“Get out of my way, Drake!” 

“Hot pan coming through!” 

“How the hell do I use a can opener?” 

“Does anybody smell something burning?” 

“Steph, stop eating the waffles!” 

“But I’m hungry!” 

Ah, the sounds every parent loves to hear in the morning. Alfred and Bruce had been put into the living room and told not to enter the kitchen under any circumstance. That was no different than any other Father’s day, but what was strange was that every curtain in the house was closed. Alfred had tried to open them, which then caused a hoard of children to descend upon him. 

Bruce sat across from him, clearly impatient. He never had been the biggest fan of surprises, but at least he was moderately prepared for this every year. 

“Don’t worry, Master Wayne. I’m sure they’re doing fine in there.” 

Bruce looked up at him, “I’m not worried about what they’re doing, I'm worried about how well their teamwork skills are.” 

As Alfred was about to assure him that they would be alright, he heard a fight break out in the kitchen. 

“If you get eggshell in this bowl one more time, I’m going to make you eat them!” 

“Shut up, Todd!” 

“Stop arguing, you two! We’re almost finished. Besides, they can probably hear us from here.” 

“Good! Let them know the demon spawn can’t crack an egg right.”

“I bet I can crack your head open!” 

“Alright you two. Break it up. Geez.” 

Alfred couldn’t help but chuckle to himself a little. Despite the tough images they may all portray or how many fights they all get into, they truly did all care about each other. It was the first Father’s day all eight of the children had spent together, which caused a bit of trouble. 

He heard Bruce clear his throat from behind him. He turned around just as Bruce pulled something out of his pocket. 

“I know that the kids tend to do something special for the two of us, but I wanted to make sure you still remember that I get to celebrate this day with you too. Happy Father’s day, Alfred.” Bruce said. 

“Thank you, Master Wayne.” 

“This is for you,” He said, handing over a card and a small present. “You deserve much more than this. You need to be on the receiving side of gifts more often.” 

“Master Wayne, you know I’m not working here to be given material things.” 

“I know that Alfred. It’s just...sometimes I feel as if I don’t let you know how much I appreciate you being here for me. Believe me, I know your job isn’t easy and it takes a special person to do it. I’m glad to have that person be you. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and the kids.” 

“Well, Master Wayne, I can assure you my job is practically child’s play in comparison to the work you and the children do for Gotham.” 

Just as Bruce was about to respond, Stephanie appeared in the doorway, “We’re ready! Get up, come on!” 

Alfred and Bruce rose at the same time to follow her out of the room. Stephanie led them towards the dining room, but to Alfred’s surprise it was completely empty. She continued on to the glass doors that lead to the outside patio. 

She spun around to face them before opening the doors, “Happy Father’s day, Alfred and Bruce. I hope you like what we’ve done.” And then she pushed the doors open. 

No. This was not the same outside patio that Alfred recognized. There were fairy lights strung across the pergola, bouquets of white and red roses, plates full of breakfast food, and gifts for both men placed on the heads of the table. Most important of all, the children were sitting in the chairs, smiling brightly. 

In unison they called, “Happy Father’s Day!” 

With tears in his eyes, Alfred smiled. Words couldn’t quite describe how happy he was to have a family like this and he was sure they all felt the same way. 

“Thank you, everyone. I love you all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Cooking breakfast is one of the most important Father's Day traditions in my household, which is why it's used a lot here. Breakfast blini are a part of Romani cuisine, which I thought Bruce and Alfred would be more than happy to embrace in order to make Dick feel happy. It’s canon that Alfred is super sentimental (I think it was mentioned in the Rebirth Red Hood and the Outlaws) and I thought it would be sweet to see the gifts he gets because of that. It turns out that white and red roses are very popular for Father’s day, so I figured that would be cute. I do one day want to explore going through Father’s Day with each character, but this is what I started with for now. Again, thank you so much for reading, it means a lot to me.


End file.
